A Robot To Destroy Breast Cancer Cells

“Researchers at the University of Maryland are developing a robot able to detect and destroy breast cancer cells in a single session. After a tumor is located on an MRI, the robot will perform a biopsy of the breast while the patient is inside the scanner. ‘If the biopsy displays cancerous cells, the robot will then insert a probe into the breast until it reaches the tumor. The probe will then burn the cancer cells until they are destroyed.’ This looks great, but the researchers have only built a prototype. After they refine this robot, they’ll need to go through clinical trials and obtain FDA approval. So this is not a robot that will appear on the medical market before several years.”

Cosplay Mania 2008

Yeah…I went there yesterday Never spent time inside the event at all. The venue was small…and the airconditioning was dying D: it was already hot OUTSIDE what more inside?! The reason it was hot was because of the overflowing number of cosplayers. They were literally too many to count. The venue itself was jam-packed. If I was a hot woman, I wouldn’t dare myself to go inside while perverts are waiting for a chance to touch some hot chick >_< too scary. Good thing most of the hot girls were outside. So I went and took pictures of them. I’ll show you some samples, while most of my collections can be found here

Check these other albums from my friends
Homer’s
Yoshimi’s
Sylv3brlade’s
Yuber’s
Kyiahsa’s

I don’t have pics inside the venue itself but I managed to find some interesting pictures during the cosplay catwalk. I’ll show you some, but most of them are found in Yuber’s I gave above

And my PERSONAL favorite ROFL

Beat Brain Drain: Foods That Boost Your White and Gray Matter

If summer is all about sun and fun, then fall is certainly about buckling down and pulling long hours in front of the computer.

Suddenly this month, I’m bombarded with requests for nutrition facts and figures, TV segments, and book proposals—while journal after journal floods my mailbox, full of breaking research to synthesize into articles, “charticles,” and blogs. I’m in serious need of keeping my gray matter healthy, and making the most out of every neuron I’ve got occupying space in my head.

Luckily, there is evidence that our brain responds to the foods we eat, and that nutrients can trigger neurotransmitters and hormones that impact our mood and improve our mental sharpness. Not only has this been shown in children at school, but studies have also found that adults can help maintain brain health as they age.

The way things are going, I don’t anticipate a break until at least Thanksgiving. So until then, here’s what I’m focusing on during this grueling work-a-thon.

Brains are very hungry
The brain and nervous system are the hungriest organs—meaning that they require a constant supply of energy that can only be delivered in the form of glucose, the end product of carbohydrate metabolism. The brain uses more than 20 times the energy ounce-per-ounce of exercising muscle than any other part of the body; in fact, as we age, it’s the natural loss of gray matter that makes a significant contribution to our drop in metabolism.

What this means is that breakfast is very important, and so is eating every two to three hours throughout the day. The constant stream of glucose to the brain will help keep your concentration and mood elevated. A meal or snack that contains low-glycemic carbohydrates, or combines carbs with lean protein and/or some healthy mono or polyunsaturated fats, will help keep the fuel to the brain steady.

Eat a slow-burn breakfast
Reams of research show that kids who eat a healthy breakfast have improved concentration, and they perform better on tests compared to those that skip out on the a.m. meal. I’m no student, but I do know that eating my low-glycemic steel-cut oats gives me energy to start the day and raises my blood-sugar levels that have plummeted overnight. Other studies have found that a breakfast of low-glycemic-index foods like oatmeal increased mental acuity over high-glycemic-index breakfasts with the same number of same calories.

Eggs with a whole-wheat product—toast or an English muffin, for example—are another great option to boost brainpower. Eggs contain choline, which helps the body make the memory-boosting chemical acetylcholine.

Eat more fruits and veggies
You’re probably aware of studies showing that blueberries improve the memory and cognitive function of aged animals, but all fruits and veggies are great cerebral choices. In addition to providing carbs to fuel the brain, they supply folic acid, a B-vitamin integral for the nervous system. In addition, they’re loaded with powerful antioxidants that help keep the blood vessels of the brain healthy and more flexible so that the brain gets adequately nourished.

I’m making more of my snacks fresh or dried fruits and veggies. Today I had raisins in my oatmeal, a banana with peanut butter at lunch, and a spinach salad with my dinner.

Enjoy caffeine and tea
Caffeine has been shown to improve concentration in studies, and tea has also been shown to have a compound, L-theanine, that impacts alpha waves in the brain. Alpha waves are supposed to help the brain focus when it is bombarded with all kinds of competing tasks (read: nonstop emails and phone calls). The combination of L-theanine and caffeine in tea is akin to rebooting my mind to help me focus on finishing one task at a time, instead of being completely frazzled by a long to-do list all day.

Be a (healthy) fat head
Yes, your brain is a muscle, but about 70% of its gray and white matter is composed of fat. And it’s not just any fat; it’s the long-chain polyunsaturated fats that are part of the cell membranes and crucial messenger system of the brain.

These beneficial fats are called DHA and EPA, and you can find them in fish and algae-based supplements. Research shows that adults who eat the most tuna and other fish rich in DHA have healthier brain mass as they age, compared to those who eat the least amount of fish. But there’s one caveat: Interestingly, fried fish consumption does not provide the same brain-boosting benefits.

Make mental moves
Nothing goes better with a healthy diet than a healthy lifestyle. To keep the blood and nutrients flowing to your brain, strive to get daily exercise. Exercise also clears your mind, gives you a natural endorphin rush, and staves off depression. Research also shows that among older adults, those who exercise the most have better cognition and i

Lack Sleep? Eat Food That Helps Prevent Sleepiness

Working-class America has a dangerous problem on its hands: As we squeeze more into our days—work, families, gym memberships, full social calendars, and longer commutes—we’re becoming more sleep-deprived, which can cause problems on the job or during the ride home.

“Sleep has always been considered negotiable,” says Ralph Downey III, PhD, chief of sleep medicine at Loma Linda University Medical Center in California. “Our activities are priorities over sleep until it’s too late—and we drive off the road.”

 

A nap on the train might help fight sleep deprivation, but be aware of your surroundings.

Jaime Marrero, 48, of Manati, Puerto Rico, knows this all too well. “I’ve woken up from the sound of my wheels on road markers on several occasions,” says the former applications engineer, a dad who used to endure a 55-mile commute. “At work, I’d fall asleep in seminars. A peer would kick me to keep me awake.” (Marrero was diagnosed with sleep apnea five years ago, and a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machine has since eliminated his problems.)

Does sleepiness affect your commute or workday? Here are four common scenarios.

Drowsy driving
Tired drivers have delayed reaction times, or they doze at the wheel, so driving after a night of poor sleep is a dangerous idea. “One-quarter of people drive fairly sleepy, and a small percentage have wrecks,” says David Davila, MD, medical director of the Baptist Health Sleep Center in Little Rock, Ark., and a National Sleep Foundation spokesperson.

Some people have trouble getting home, says Stuart F. Quan, MD, visiting professor of medicine in the division of sleep medicine at Harvard Medical School. “Highway driving is a boring, semiautomatic task. You’d tend to fall asleep.”

Missing your stop
Sleepy commuters who use mass transit can inadvertently sleep through their bus or train stops. “The depth of your sleep is the reason you miss the stop,” says Downey. “If you sleep more than 20 minutes, you have slow-wave sleep, which is harder to wake up out of. You have no perception of what’s going on in your environment.”

There are pros and cons to taking a nap during your commute. “If you’re sleep-deprived and you have an hour commute, you made up an hour of sleep,” says Downey. But long, late naps can affect your ability to fall asleep at bedtime, causing a cycle of sleep deprivation.

Falling asleep on the job
Take a dimly lit room, add a bland PowerPoint presentation and tired employees, and you’ve got the perfect setting for unintentional nodding off. “In our brains, we have a sleep drive that’s fighting the wake drive, which tries to keep us awake,” says Downey. “In a boring meeting, your sleep drive is pushing to come out. There’s no stimulus for your wake drive to come out, unless someone shocks you.”

Relying on sugar and caffeine
Who, during a sleepy moment, hasn’t downed coffee or grabbed chocolate to keep himself attentive? Sugar and caffeine can provide a burst of wakefulness, but it’s short-lived. “Sleep eventually wins,” says Downey. “Society needs to get to a point where we recognize that we need to sleep instead of buying a Mars bar.”

 

8 Ways to avoid Sleepiness

To avoid work-related sleep problems, try these solutions:

• Work out. ”Exercising in the morning increases alertness, which can help with your commute,” says Dr. Davila. If you’re sleepy after work, exercise before commuting home (between 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.), for “alertness enhancement” and improved nighttime sleeping.
• Form a sleep carpool. Ask a friend to take turns driving and napping on alternate days. “This can work as long as the driver doesn’t need to be stimulated by your conversation to stay awake,” says Downey.
• Change your schedule. ”Talk to your boss about telecommuting or flexible hours” says Dr. Quan. “If you work 10-hour days, get enough sleep on those days to safely go to and from work.”
• Seek sunshine. ”In the morning, get as much bright light exposure as possible,” says Dr. Davila. Get off the train a stop early and walk to work, take a walk around your block before driving to work, or park a few blocks away from the office.
• Sleep on the clock. If you have permission, taking a nap during work hours is useful, says Dr. Quan. “Even 15 minutes will help a person get through the day.” If you commute on a train or bus, that might also be an opportunity to slip in a quick nap—but in either case, set an alarm so you won’t oversleep.
• Prepare for the drive. Drink a cup of coffee or take a 20-minute nap, then drive home, says Downey. “Those are the best antidotes we know of to decrease drowsy driving.” If you still feel your eyes drooping when you’re on the road, pull over: Once you’re starting to nod off, the safest thing to do is get out of the car.
• Skip late-night TV. Go to bed at 10:30, says Downey. If you’re addicted to The Daily Show, record it and watch it during breakfast, so you aren’t out of the loop at the water cooler.
• Talk to your doctor. It’s normal to have a few stressful days at the office or feel overworked and sleep-deprived every so often, but if you notice that you’re not feeling better after a number of weeks—or that your sleepiness has become an everyday, all-the-time feeling—you may need to be screened for a sleep disorder. Conditions such as sleep apnea and narcolepsy can make people more prone to falling asleep during daily activities. Or, if it’s really your sleep habits and schedule that need adjusting, your doctor may guide you in making lifestyle changes that can help you rest easier.